You will likely not get an answer to this one for several reasons.
First, Sony's wholesale prices are closely guarded and only released
to Sony retailers or distributors. Even if you are luck enough to get
your hands on one wholesale sheet, it is not the definitive answer.
Sony, like other manufacturers, has price breaks for bulk buys and
incentives for larger dealers. The wholesale price Best Buy pays will
be different from the wholesale price Mom n Pop's TV shop pays.
Add to this the fact that for smaller retailers, Sony uses authorized
distributors and resellers. This means that Mom-n-Pop buy from an
intermediary distributor, and usually not from Sony itself. The small
retailers cannot feasibly commit to the ordering levels they need to
buy direct from Sony. So, they are forced to use a third party.
Lastly, no matter what the sholesale is, Sony *authorized*
distributors are contractually bound to certain retail pricing
constraints. They agree not to sell Television X for less than $y, or
if they do their co-opted advertising fund can be restricted.
I know this is not the answer you were looking for, but these are the
facts as I know them. I have 20+ years in consumer electronics, and
have carried SOny in the past.
Basically, Sony has the marketing power to tell most big CE retaillers
"Look, we are Sony. If you don't carry us, someone else will."
Margins to retailers are slim, but they carry the brand because of the
marketing power behind the name.
Cheers
Good Luck
E |
